Coope's Dozen Walk

On April 1st I led my first walk for East Lancs LDWA and rather than lead an existing walk I provided them with a brand new walking route. It may have been new as a walking route but I based it on a running challenge route that my good friend John Coope devised many years ago and we christened Coope's Dozen in his honour. The run is about 17 miles taking in 12 summits on the West Pennine Moors. Last June I completed it with what on the day was called the "fast" group in about 4 hrs 50. From memory the record is about 2 hours 40 but that was by a guy who had won the Snowdonia Marathon twice.
I modified the route to gain three miles to give a distance of 20 miles and did my final recce earlier in the week with temperatures in the 70s - record March temperatures were being recorded in some parts of the UK - taking 8 hours in the abnormal weather conditions.
Seventeen turned up for the walk and for a first go that was fine - it meant we were able to keep to a decent pace, completing in about eight and a half hours, only 30 minutes longer than I'd taken on my own. The day was perfect, having cooled a little from Tuesday but offering a complete day full of outstanding views with almost unbroken sunshine. White Coppice CC was open for ice-creams etc : this went down very well and experienced walkers enjoyed venturing onto Egg Hillock and Old Adam for the first time in their lives.

Next challenge?

Nearly two years have gone by. I've put the weight back on but although far from being overweight by BMI standards, I no longer have the fitness or speed I achieved during the summer of 2010. I need to have a focus.
As my plan to become a full-time maths teacher didn't come to fruition I am at a bit of limbo as far as future employment. I'm not quite ready to retire but I don't really need to work full time. Working in education would have been a good compromise - you work hard during term time, 10 hour days being accepted as the norm once you include all the preparation but you do get the long summer holiday, ideal for a four or five week trek.
So, until I know what my regular working schedule is, whether that is in some form of eduction e.g. learning mentor or TA, or back in the IT industry, or even something else (I have to be open to options), it's difficult to plan.
I would like to do some of the GR5 - the complete length is out of the question so maybe from Strasbourg to Lake Geneva or from there to Nice. What is the complete length anyway? From Dunkerque or from Strasbourg?
Next Saturday is the Haworth Hobble, 32 miles and near 5000 feet (1500m) of climb in the central Pennines. Although completing it many times, I wasn't sure whether I was fit enough to run it but a clubmate has persuaded me to run with her and if necessary walk some of it. My slowest time ever for the event was 8hrs 5 minutes, 20 years ago when the weather was atrocious. Hopefully we can beat that. The last time we paired up, also in the 90s, we finished in 5:42, my fastest time - no chance of beating that!
Cross country this afternoon so I'll see how I go after completing 10 miles with 2300ft ascent on Winter Hill at 12 minutes per mile pace on Thursday.
Below is a photo from the 92 Hobble with a pair of my training partners Ed and John (JtE) in front of the water rising over the reservoir wall.